Lifecycle Management in Microsoft Fabric: Microsoft Fabric is a cloud-based platform that enables you to create, share, and consume business intelligence (BI) content. It offers a variety of tools and features to help you analyze data, create reports and dashboards, and collaborate with others. One of the most powerful features of Microsoft Fabric is lifecycle management, a tool that allows you to integrate your development processes, tools, and best practices straight into the Fabric platform.
Lifecycle management enables you to connect your Fabric workspaces to Git repositories, where you can store, version, and manage your BI content as code. You can also use deployment pipelines to manage the lifecycle of your BI content in a production environment. However, to use these tools, you need to have the appropriate licenses and capacities in Microsoft Fabric. In this blog post, I will explain what licenses are needed to work with lifecycle management in Microsoft Fabric.
What are the types of licenses in Microsoft Fabric?
Microsoft Fabric has two types of licenses: capacity licenses and per-user licenses. Capacity licenses allow you to assign workspaces to a dedicated or shared capacity, where you can run your BI content without affecting other users or workspaces. Per-user licenses allow you to access and consume BI content without requiring a capacity assignment.
The following table summarizes the types of licenses and their features in Microsoft Fabric:
| License type | License name | Features |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity license | Premium per user (PPU) | – Access all Fabric features <br> – Assign workspaces to PPU capacity <br> – Share content with other PPU users |
| Capacity license | Premium Gen1 (P) | – Access all Fabric features <br> – Assign workspaces to P capacity <br> – Share content with free or pro users |
| Capacity license | Premium Gen2 (A) | – Access all Fabric features <br> – Assign workspaces to A capacity <br> – Share content with free or pro users |
| Capacity license | Embedded (EM) | – Access all Fabric features <br> – Assign workspaces to EM capacity <br> – Embed content in external applications |
| Per-user license | Pro | – Access most Fabric features <br> – Consume content in PPU, P, A, or EM workspaces <br> – Share content with other pro users |
| Per-user license | Free | – Access basic Fabric features <br> – Consume content in P, A, or EM workspaces <br> – Share content with other free users |
What licenses are needed to use Git integration?
To use Git integration, you need to have a capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) and be an admin of a workspace that is assigned to a capacity. You also need to have access to a Git repository, such as GitHub or Azure DevOps. You can connect your workspace to any branch in your repository, and sync your BI content as code.
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The following table summarizes the licenses and permissions required for different actions in Git integration:
| Action | License | Permission |
|---|---|---|
| Connect workspace to repository | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Sync workspace with repository | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Create branch | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Switch branch | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Merge branch | Any license (free or pro) | Repository contributor |
What licenses are needed to use deployment pipelines?
To use deployment pipelines, you need to have a capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) and be an admin of a workspace that is assigned to a capacity. You also need to have access to at least two workspaces: one for the source stage and one for the target stage. You can deploy your BI content from one stage to another with a single click or using APIs and DevOps tools.
The following table summarizes the licenses and permissions required for different actions in deployment pipelines:
| Action | License | Permission |
|---|---|---|
| Create pipeline | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Assign workspace to stage | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Deploy content from stage to stage | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Workspace admin |
| Configure deployment rules | Capacity license (PPU, P, A, or EM) | Dataset owner |
| Automate deployment process | Any license (free or pro) | API user |
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about the licenses for lifecycle management in Microsoft Fabric:
Q: How do I get a capacity license for Microsoft Fabric?
A: You can get a capacity license for Microsoft Fabric by purchasing it from the Microsoft 365 admin center or from a Microsoft partner. You can also get a free trial of PPU or P licenses for a limited time. For more information, see Purchase Microsoft Fabric Premium.
Q: How do I assign a workspace to a capacity in Microsoft Fabric?
A: You can assign a workspace to a capacity in Microsoft Fabric by following these steps:
- From the Workspaces flyout, select the workspace that you want to assign to a capacity.
- From the Workspace settings, select Premium.
- From the Capacity drop-down, select the capacity that you want to assign to the workspace.
- Select Apply.
Q: How do I share my BI content with other users in Microsoft Fabric?
A: You can share your BI content with other users in Microsoft Fabric by following these steps:
- From the Workspaces flyout, select the workspace that contains the BI content that you want to share.
- From the Workspace menu, select Share.
- In the Share dialog box, enter the email addresses of the users that you want to share with, and select their access level (admin, member, or contributor).
- Select Share.
Conclusion
Lifecycle management is a powerful feature of Microsoft Fabric that enables you to integrate your development processes, tools, and best practices for your BI content. However, to use this feature, you need to have the appropriate licenses and capacities in Microsoft Fabric. You also need to have access to Git repositories and workspaces